Ornithoscopy
by Heleentje
Summary: Aslla Piscu has vowed to not underestimate the humans again, and therefore, it is quite interested in what its host has to say. Jack/Carly


**Story Title: **Ornithoscopy

**Author: **Heleentje

**Rating:** K

**Word Count: **1542

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's.

**Notes:** Written for **Silvormoon**. It's a bit different from the usual Jack and Carly, but I hope you enjoy the story anyway! Have some Aslla Piscu using the royal we ^^

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**Ornithoscopy**

The host we are assigned is small, so small, and we don't know what to do with it. It can't fly. It can't even properly defend itself when it is attacked. Now we have to take such a little one under our wings too? Ccarayhua, who has a similar host but a stronger one, assures us the little one is female. We do not care, but if the humans consider the distinction important, we shall remember it and use it to our advantage.

We have been around for so many eons, since long before the humans even existed. We have seen them come into being, seen them claim their place in the world, and we must have underestimated them, for they managed to chain us to the ground in that desolate place. We vow not to underestimate them again. Maybe the little one can be useful now. Maybe, however weak and tiny it is, we can observe through its eyes and learn about the humans and their weaknesses. After all, the little one was human too. It still fancies itself human, whenever it has a thought to itself.

We already know the humans are physically weak; we do not need the host to tell us that. Their power comes from elsewhere then. The Crimson Dragon helped them last time, as it is helping them now, but however tempting it is to attribute the humans' power solely to the dragon, it would be foolish to do so. We are many things, but foolish, we are not. It would not do to underestimate the humans again, to solely attribute them the power of the Crimson Dragon and nothing else. Surely there must be more to them than the weak body they possess? So we study them.

The little one, when we do not control its mind, spends its time mourning. We try to understand. Is it mourning its own death?

_Why do you cry?_ we ask it. It doesn't reply. It doesn't even hear us. Such a strange thing, this little one. Its cries are nothing like a bird's, and the tears from its eyes serve no purpose. We ask Ccarayhua, and we ask Cusillu, but neither can provide us with a satisfactory answer.

It is a human thing, Ccarayhua says, and doesn't elaborate. Ccarayhua's host doesn't cry. It does mourn, however. A lost sibling, Ccarayhua tells us. A boy, barely more than a hatchling, and Ccarayhua's host failed to protect it. This we understand. Seeing one's nestmate die is a terrible thing. Did our host lose its nestmate too, then? Or its chick? No, it is too young to have chicks; it's barely more than one itself.

The humans care for their nestmates and will do all they can to protect them. This we have learned, and this we can use to our advantage. If only we had our full strength available to us, we wouldn't have to deal with the weird game the humans play. We would discard the host, and we would destroy our enemies, grab them and pierce them and make them suffer. Maybe we would even let them die.

"Not Jack. Please not Jack."

Oh, the little one speaks after all. We try to question it, but it stops talking and shuts us out like it has been doing for so long. Its words are interesting, though. We know the Signers, and we know the one named Jack. Is he a nestmate of our host? No, we do not think so. This isn't like Ccarayhua's host, or the little Signer chicks who are even more alike than all the humans are to us. The Jack human is special to our host. Our curiosity is piqued.

_Why do you cry?_

There is still no reply the little one is willing to give us, even if it is now aware of our presence. It sits all day, and we would call it resting if it didn't leave the little one more tired than ever before. It is just staring, looking at those cards the humans use for their game, and we are slowly getting bored of it. It's a silly creature. It clings to what remains of its humanity, never realizing it is little more than a tool for us to use. But we will give it its illusion of freedom. We still need to learn about the humans, and the little one is an ideal means.

_Why do you cry?_ we ask again, but now the little one shuts us out completely. It will not reply to our questions. So we shall reply to its questions instead.

_What do you want?_ we ask now, and oh, now the little one is listening. It curls up, and if it had wings, it would cover itself, shield itself from the cold outside, but since it doesn't, it can only shiver.

"Jack…" it whispers. We flex our claws at the mention of the Signer, but this is so very interesting. We were wrong, earlier. The Signer is its mate, and isn't that so incredibly useful? We don't even blame the little one for the terrible choice of mate it clearly made. Its mind used to be only human, after all. We cannot expect better.

_He could be yours,_ we say. The little one looks up, frowns, flexes its hands in a poor imitation of claws.

"Mine?" it repeats. "No, Jack isn't mine…"

Oh? We aren't so bored anymore. It seems like the little one can still surprise us. So it doesn't want the Signer? The little one has already taken its revenge, and yet it still wants more. But what? What exactly does it want?

"Why am I a Dark Signer?" it asks. It is a ridiculous question. The little one was present and available when we needed a host. This is the only true answer, but it is not the answer the little one wishes to hear. We search its memory for anything that can serve us, and smile when we latch on to what we need. The little one believes in destiny, huh? There is but one destiny for this world, and it is the one where it is ruled by us, but the little one, with its small, barely human mind will not accept that. We shall not let its ideals interfere with our plans, but if we can use them, shape them into the version we want and then confront the Signer with our host, it will be so easy to win this fight. We have seen the Signer react to our host. He is undoubtedly the mate of our little one. We can use that. We can break him.

If the little one likes destiny so much, maybe we shall give it the chance to do some fortune-telling. It uses its cards to tell the future, and we make it choose the card it wants to choose so badly.

"Jack will be king," the little one says, its entire body trembling, and we agree with it, strengthen the suggestion in its mind until it overtakes all other thoughts.

_Yes. He shall rule, and you shall rule by his side. You shall make him realize his true destiny._

"You can do that?" the little one asks. It is almost endearing in its happiness, like a little chick flying for the very first time. Maybe we shall keep it after all. Its human form could be useful if we ever need a small form. Never as small as our earth brethren, of course, but we gave up our agility for power, a trade we have never once regretted.

_Of course we can. It is your destiny, after all._

The little one will indeed make the Signers realize their true destiny. We do not tell it their true destiny will involve their deaths.

"Yes… Yes, of course," it says, its voice now stronger. Our little one is finally maturing, becoming a stronger host. We are almost proud. We really have learned a lot about the humans. It is so very easy to manipulate them if their beloved mates are on the line. Ccarayhua must have already realized it before us.

_All you have to do is duel him, and he will see the truth_, we prompt. The little one's hands tighten around its cards. It nods.

"He will be king?" it asks.

_It is destiny,_ we tell it, and we let our words shape its mind, until even the last kernels of doubt have been erased. _He shall rule the world, and you shall be by his side. That is why you are a Dark Signer. This is your true destiny._

"That is why I'm a Dark Signer," the little one repeats, determined now. Humans really are so easy to control. The right words, the right incentive, and they will do whatever we want them to do. Their emotions and their love for their mates are what make them so vulnerable. Yes, we feel accomplished now, secure in the knowledge that we will not underestimate the humans a second time. Their love will drive the Signer to find our host. Their love will drive the little one to fight. And their love will be their downfall and our victory.

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_Reviews welcome as always!_


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